Strikeforce: A Moment On The Phone With KJ Noons and Cesar Gracie

It's pretty interesting what happens when you're on a conference call with two fighters who have a legit bit of beef with each other.

Now, just so we're clear, I wasn't on the line with anyone from Strikeforce, nor was I on the line with either of the personalities involved in this call.

To put it simply, this conference call was hosted by a Strikeforce representative, not by a member of Bleacher Report.

That said, there were a few interesting statements made by both personalities nonetheless.

Of course, the hatred between KJ Noons and Nick Diaz had to be temporarily stored, as Nick was a no-show, but Cesar Gracie filled in for Diaz on this conference call that occurred yesterday, which helped get some good hype for Strikeforce's upcoming event next weekend.

Noons was pretty frustrated about Diaz not being able to call in, but nonetheless he did have a few lights to shine on his upcoming fight with Diaz next weekend.

Luckily for us, one of those lights concerned the decision to move up in weight when many feel he was unquestionably somewhere in line for an eventual shot at the Strikeforce Lightweight belt currently held by Gilbert Melendez.

"My whole goal was to go for the title at 155," Noons said. "The card is interesting because there are two fights on this card I have a potential matchup with. As far as I was concerned I was the one in line for the 155 title.

"But Gilbert has some stuff going on and I didn’t want to wait.  I just want to go where people want to watch me fight.  One-hundred and fifty-five pounds is my division, but 170 is where the fight's at, and I just want to make it an exciting fight."

Many who follow Gilbert Melendez's career via Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks know exactly what has been going on with Melendez, so it's no surprise that Noons would not want to just go on a layoff until Melendez is ready.

He wants a fight, and he's going to get a fight come next weekend.

Of course, if you thought the bad blood was just for this fight, Cesar Gracie can tell you: It's not just KJ Noons that Diaz has bad blood with.

It's everyone that chooses to step in the cage with Nick Diaz that Nick Diaz has beef with.

“I don’t think he has time for that. It’s not something that has bothered him over the years. He pretty much has bad blood for everyone who steps in the cage with him.

"That is what motivates him, it’s not a personal thing. They are going into battle, and they are not friends with the person they are fighting. That is what makes him exciting."

That's a hell of a mentality right there: the type of guy who does not like to be too friendly to his opponents before a fight, doesn't want to shake your hand or wish you the best of luck against him.

To interpolate a line from "Kung Pow! Enter The Fist," if you've got an ass, Diaz will kick it.

It's a lot less humorous when you're the guy whose ass he wants to kick, though.

Naturally, KJ will be prepared for Diaz's boxing, which he admits has gotten better.

That being said, KJ hopes Diaz realizes that he's not the only one with solid punching power in his hands.

"I think everybody who has time and gets more fights gets better. He’s gotten better and so have I.  The people he has fought are not strikers like me though; they don’t have the pedigree that I have grown up with.

"It’s just different styles, and I think styles make matches. He has gotten better and bigger. No, I haven’t ever fought at 170 but it will be an interesting fight.

"You can’t compare me to other fighters he has fought. We fight in different styles. He has beaten some legends, but I am a different fighter."

One thing Gracie said, but certainly everyone knows, is that Noons isn't the only fighter in this title bout who has made himself a few changes since the first fight.

"He was losing decisions to takedowns," Gracie said, "so he worked on that, and he is working on taking people down because it was a weakness in his game. Nick enjoys to box. He likes to punch someone, and working out with pro boxers has helped."

Gracie, the manager and head trainer behind such stars as the Diaz brothers, plus Melendez and Jake Shields, has let it be known that Diaz is far better with his takedown defense than he was when we saw him fight guys like Joe Riggs and Diego Sanchez in the UFC.

The heat between these two will come to a head come next Saturday, and both Noons and Gracie could not be any more excited for what will take place next week.

Said Noons in closing:

“I am training my butt of to win another world title. I have respect for Nick as a fighter, and that is why I am training so hard. My personal feeling about him will be left out of the fight, and I am excited for the fight.”

As stated before, Gracie is also excited for what will take place next week.

“I am looking forward to a great fight. As a fight fan, Nick is one of my favorite fighters, and I never know what to expect. Everyone come out, because I expect a great show, and a great fight.”

Certainly this was much calmer conversation than it might have been if Diaz had called in, but from this conference call comes one thing that we can go home with now that we're left with a little more than a week to go before Diaz puts his Strikeforce Welterweight Title on the line against Noons:

When these two finally duke it out, it'll be anything but calm.